At 10 years of age, Kristi McLane didn't know if she had the strength to go on.

Diagnosed with type I diabetes, Kristi had to learn to use a needle for insulin shots and regulate her diet while still in childhood.

But Kristi said there was one thing that kept her buoyed up regardless of her physical condition - spiritual strength.

"I believe your soul is made up of more than just your physical body," said Kristi, 20, a junior from Houston, Texas majoring in English. "I believe it houses your body and your spirit, and that together, with both of these, you make it through life."

Spirituality has long been believed to boost health and aid in the healing process, but not just because of better health practices associated with religion.

"Mind, body and spirit are so closely connected that to violate one of them is to violate all of them," said Barry Drage, social services director at Mountain View Hospital in Payson, Utah County, with 30 years experience.

Scientific evidence is mounting in support of the connection between mind and body.

In June of 2000, analyzed 42 studies of more than 120,000 patients and found that those with a spiritual connection lived longer.

For example, the average hospital stay of patients who didn't attend church was three times longer than those who regularly attend.

People undergoing heart surgery were 14 times more likely to die during the procedure if they were not involved with a religion.

In the October issue of Counseling and Values, researchers studied 115 graduate students and found a positive correlation between spirituality and coping methods.

Prayer, Christianity and belief in God were among the coping mechanisms participants used to combat stress.

Kristi also found that spirituality was vital in helping her cope with her disease.

"Your body affects your spirit and your spirit affects your body," she said. "If one is down, the other is sure to feel it."

A strong belief and faith system makes a person stronger and more resilient said Don Schlichting, a minister at Hilltop United Methodist Church in Sandy. "It helps them deal with stress better, helps them deal with the ups and downs of life in a more healthy fashion."

Schlichting said he has seen many hospitalized people who have gained strength just from knowing a group of people were praying for them.

"A fairly common comment is 'I don't know how I would have gotten through it without my faith, my church community, the people who gathered around me,'" he said.

Drage said that part of the reason spirituality is closely connected to health is the principle of cognitive dissonance, when behavior is in harmony with beliefs and thoughts.

"For most people, living according to their own beliefs and values system will do more for them physically than following certain techniques of how to be healthy," he said.

But gaining the health benefits associated with spirituality requires more than just casual beliefs. Active participation and expression of faith are vital, Schlichting said.

"It gives a positive orientation to life, gives a larger context of a person's understanding of life than just themselves," he said.

Drage also said religion should be a lifestyle and not just a couple of acts done periodically

"When we're living, thinking and acting according to our belief system, that's religion in its purest form," he said. "The more in harmony we bring our thoughts in conjunction with our behavior, the stronger and healthier we are."



Copyright Brigham Young University 11 Dec 2001